Road-ditching machine.



J. RANNEL.

. ROAD DITGHINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.27, 1911. Patented Apr. 7, 191 1 4 SHEETSS HEET 1.

f, iii/7776'! COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH co WASHINGTON. D. c.

. J. RANNEL. ROAD DITGHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 21, 1911.

Patented Apr. 7, 191:1

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wi twwoeo COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c zo wAsHlNo'roN, D c.

,J. RANNEL.

ROAD DITGHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 11110. 27, 1911.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914 4 BHEETB-8HEET 3.

m L I 61 "ennu b CDLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM co.,wAsmNuTON. D1 C.

J. RAN NEL.

ROAD DITGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. 27, 1911. I 1,0921 69. Patented Apr. 7, 191i 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPN CO" WASHINGTON, D. c.

JAMES BANNEL, 0F HARLEM, MONTANA.

ROAD-IDI'ICHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. *3. tot/i.

Application filed December 27, 1911. Serial No. 668,142.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES RANNEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Harlem, in the county of Chouteau, State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Ditching 'Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in ditching machines.

The princlpal object of this invention is to provide a main frame adapted to ride in a ditch and which is provided with a scraper adapted to scrape the dirt from the ditch and force the same upwardly onto the road.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ditching machine including a main frame having a scraper associated therewith, and means for positively raising or lowering either end of the scraper or the scraper 1n its entirety as may be desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ditching machine including a main frame having a scrapper associated therewith and adapted to engage the earth in order to retain the machine in its proper line of draft.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which is extremely simple in con struction, it being composed of a minimum number of parts, and therefore cheap to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a ditching machine constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the right hand side of the machine, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the left hand side of the machine, Fig. A is a rear end view of the machine, Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a similar view but taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1, Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, Fig. 8 is a similar view but taken 011 the line 8-8 of Fig. 1, Fig. 9 is a detail perspective View of the front end of the frame and scraper showing the pivotal connection of the latter.

Like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the invention comprises a main frame of substantially triangular formation consisting of a landside member 5, a road side member 6, and a cross beam 7. A post 8 is disposed between and connected to the front ends of the members 5 and 6, and the road side member 6 thence extends rearwardly at an acute angle to the landside member and is connected at its rear end to said cross member 7. The post 8 extends above the members 5 and 6, and secured thereto by any suitable means is a clevis 9 adapted for attachment to a draft element, which is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 10, and which may be of any suitable construction. Braces 11-11 are each secured at one end to the main frame and at its other end to the post 8. Secured to the outer face of the landside member 5 is a guide strip 12, said strip extending below the member 5 for engagement with the dirt to guidethe machine in a straight line along the ditch. Secured to the members 5 and 6 intermediate their ends are spaced transverse members 13 and 14 respectively, and secured upon these members and preferably toward the landside member 5 is an operators platform 15 of any suitable construction. A longitudinal frame member l6 has its rear end supported by the cross member 14 and its front end secured to the road side member 6 of the frame. A filler block 17 is disposed in spaced relation to the longitudinal frame member 16, and is secured to the road side member 6 and the cross bar 7. An axle 18 is suitably mounted in the longitudinal member 16 and the filler block 17, and mounted upon said axle is a ground wheel 19 of any suitable construction. It will be observed in this connection that the road side member 6 and the rear cross bar 7 are of a width less than the landside member 5, and by means of the ground wheel 19, the road side member of the frame is supported above the ground.

Disposed in rear of and in parallelvrelation to the cross member 7 of the main frame is a swinging arm 20, and this arm is pivotally connected, as at 21, to a bracket 22 carried by the landside member 5. The free end of this arm projects beyond the road side member 6, and is provided with a transversely disposed pivot bolt 23 adapted for a purpose hereinafter described. Secured to the road side member 6 and cross bar 7 are the free ends of a rearwardly extending overhanging U-shaped bracket 24, the bight thereof being disposed directly above and in spaced relation to the swinging arm 20. A grooved roller 25'is disposed between the legs of the bracket below the bight, and is rotatably supported upon an axle 26. A rack plate 27 is secured to the road side member 6 of the main frame, and fulcrumed upon said plate intermediate its ends is a hand lever 28, the lower or shorter arm 29 thereof having pivotal connection with one end of a pull rod 30, the other end of said rod being connected to one end of a chain 31 which is trained over the roller 25, and has its other end fixedly connected to the free end of the swinging arm 20. It will thus be observed that upon manipulation of the hand lever 28 rearwardly, the arm 20 will be swung upwardly upon its pivot, and upon release of said hand lever the arm 20 will drop by gravity. Secured to the front end of the main frame is a bracket 32 which consists of an attaching plate 33 and a pair of forwardly extending spaced perforated ears 3434 which are disposed one above the other in vertical alinement.

My invention further comprises a scraper blade, designated as a whole by the reference numeral 35. This scraper is disposed in spaced relation to the road side member 6 of the main frame, and has its rear end connected to the free end of the swinging arm 20 by means of a bracket 36 or other suitable attaching means. A pivot bolt 87 is secured to the forward end of the scraper, and swingingly mounted thereon is a bracket, which is designated as a whole by the reference numeral 38. This bracket includes an attaching plate 39 and a pair of spaced perforated ears 4040, the perforations of these ears being adapted to register with the perforation of the ears 34 of the bracket 32. A vertically movable pin 41 is disposed within said alined perforations. A guide element 42 is secured to the scraper for bold ing the free end of the bracket 38 against displacement with respect to the scraper and yet permitting of a slight movement of the latter. In order to elevate the front end of this scraper there is supported upon the front end of the main frame a U-shaped bracket 43 which carries a grooved roller 44. A rack plate 45 is secured to the longitudinal frame member 16, and associated with said plate is a second hand lever 46, said hand lever being. fulcrumed intermediate its ends. Pivotally connected to the lower or shorter arm of this lever is one end of a forwardly extending reach rod 47, the free end of said rod being connected to one end of a chain 48 which is trained over the roller 44, and is fixedly connected at its other end to the scraper. forward movement of this hand lever, the forward end of the scraper will be raised, and upon release of said lever the scraper will by grzvity drop to its normal or lower position. 7

In operation, as the machine is drawn forward, the landside member 5 will be forced to run in a straight line by reason of the guide strip 12. As a result, thescraper will be caused to engage the dirt and owing to the fact of being arranged at an acute angle with respect to the landside member, will force the dirt upwardly and onto the road.

Should it be desired at any time to elevate either the front or rear ends of the scraper, this can be accomplished by means of the hand levers above described. Should it be desired to elevate the scraper in its entirety for any height both of said hand levers may be independently actuated.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a ditching machine, the combination with a main frame including a land side member, a scraper disposed at an acute angle to and supported by the frame, means for vertically adjusting the front end of the scraper independently of the land side member, and independent means for raising the rear end of the scraper.

2. In a ditching machine, the combination with a main frame including a landside member and a roadside member, the latter being disposed at an acute angle with re spect to the former, a scraper disposed at t will thus be observed that upon 7 an acute angle to and supported by the' 3. In a ditching machine, the combination with a mam frame including a landside member and a roadside member, the latter being disposed at an acute angle with respect to the former, a transversely disposed arm pivotally connected at one end to the landside member and having its free end projecting beyond the rear end of-the roadside member, a scraper having its front end loosely connected to the front end of the frame and having its rear end pivotally connected to the free end of the swinging arm, means for vertically adjusting the front. end

of the scraper independently of the land side member, and independent means for raising the rear end of said scraper.

4. In a ditching machine, the combination with a main frame including an inclined roadside member, of a bracket secured to the forward end of the frame, a scraper disposed in spaced relation to the roadside member, a bracket pivoted adjacent the forward end of the scraper, a vertically movable pivot pin connecting said brackets, a pivotal connection between the rear end of the scraper and the frame, means for vertically adjusting the front end of the scraper independently of the land side member, and means for raising the rear end of said scraper.

5. In a ditching machine, the combination with a main frame including a landside member and a roadside member, the latter being disposed at an acute angle with respect to the former, a transversely disposed arm pivotally connected at one end to the landside member and having its free end projecting beyond the rear end of the roadside member, a scraper having its front end loosely connected to the front end of the frame and having its rear end fixedly connected to the free end of the swinging arm, a rearwardly extending overhanging U- shaped bracket secured at its ends to the rear end of the frame, a roller journaled between the legs of said bracket, an operating lever fulcrumed on the frame, and a flexible connect-ion trained over the roller and connected at one end to the swinging arm and at its other end to the lever to elevate the rear end of the scraper upon rearward movement of said lever.

6. In a ditching machine, the combination with a main frame including a landside member and a roadside member, the latter being disposed at an acute angle with respect to the former, transverse frame members connecting the landside and roadside members, an o-perators platform supported on said transverse members, a longitudinally disposed frame member connecting said transverse members, a filler block supported by the roadside member, an axle support-- ed by said longitudinal member and filler, a ground Wheel mounted on said axle for supporting the roadside portion of the frame, a scraper disposed in spaced relation to the roadside member, a pivotal connection be tween the front end of the frame and the front end of the scraper, a pivotal connection between the landside member of the frame and the rear end of the scraper, means for vertically adjusting the front end of the scraper independently of the land side member, and independent means for raising the rear end of the said scraper.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES RANNEL.

Witnesses Geo. W. VENNUM, GEORGE HERENDEEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

